Shawnee BOE approves new credit recovery program

CAMDEN — The Preble Shawnee Board of Education approved several personnel and contractual matters, including the purchase of PLATO, an online course for credit recovery and alternative school program, during a meeting on Thursday, July 16.

The board voted 5-0 in favor of all items presented by Superintendent David Ulrich.

Their purchase of the PLATO system is in relation to their severed ties with Preble County Educational Service Center, and will allow the school to offer course recovery to students in-house.

Other contractual items approved included the resignations of six staff members – a kindergarten teacher, HS/JR school intervention specialist, FCS high school and junior high school teacher, high school and junior high school intervention specialist, a high school and junior high physical education teacher, and a Camden primary intervention specialist – along with the resignation of a student aide.

The board also hired a high school science teacher, a junior high and high school art teacher, and a junior high science teacher. All hired teachers will begin at salary step 0.

A one-year supplemental contract was approved for the following personnel: two junior high football coaches, a JV football cheerleading coach, an extended year tutor, a kindergarten department chair, first grade department chair, second grade department chair, third grade department chair, fourth grade department chair, fifth grade department chair, and sixth grade department chair.

There was also a $3,000 service contract for library services by the SEO Consortium through the Preble County District Library as well as the adoption of revised policies for meeting state performance indicators, the college credit plus program, the non-immigrant student and foreign-exchange students, student accidents, graduation requirements, animals on district property, and school safety. The board also adopted new policies regarding career advising and the authorization to make electronic fund transfers.

A resolution for the high school door replacement project in the amount of $136,174 as submitted by Norwood Hardware was also accepted.

Several financial items presented in the treasurer’s report were also approved 5-0 by the board. They moved $96,000 from the general fund to the food service fund and $25,000 from the general fund to the athletics fund. They also approved the return of $2,090.78 from Title I to the general fund and $721.25 from Title II-A to the general fund.

They also approved the resolution that allows the school to advertise and receive bids on the purchases of school buses, as well as the approval to submit the Federal Program Application FY16 for their participation in the program.

They declared the flood damage to the high school as an urgent necessity and approved the cost of the damage along with any related cost. They also approved an additional contract with Birch Agency for occupational therapy at the rate of $78.82 per hour per week from July 15 through August 30 of this year.

The board also voted in favor of selling an oven from their concession stand with a sealed-bid, pending permission from the Preble Shawnee Boosters.

The board also appointed board of education committees through the end of 2015. The breakdown is as follows:

Charlie Biggs and Candice Turpin are in charge of athletics, Tom Crumbaker and Emily Hamblin in charge of course study and curriculum, Biggs is in charge of facilities, Barbara Strickland is in charge of wellness, and Biggs and Turpin are in charge of community and staff relations.

Shawnee’s next board meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m.

By Jeremy Erskine

jerskine@civitasmedia.com

Jeremy Erskine may be reached at 937-683-4061 or on Twitter @jerskine_RH